Lesson Plan: ‘26.2 Miles Is Easy. Getting Around New York City Is Not.’

Lesson Overview

Featured Article: “26.2 Miles Is Easy. Getting Around New York City Is Not.” by Talya Minsberg with photographs by Clark Hodgin

Daniel Romanchuk, 24, placed second in the New York City Marathon this month. But just getting around the city in a wheelchair can be more challenging than a race.

In this lesson, you will learn about Mr. Romanchuk’s remarkable story, as well as the challenges he faces after finishing races. Then, in a Going Further activity, we invite you to investigate and assess the accessibility of public spaces where you live.

Have you ever competed in a marathon? If not, would you want to?

Before reading about Mr. Romanchuk’s successes in recent marathons, make a list of skills and challenges athletes face when competing in a 26-mile race in a wheelchair.

Then, watch the seven-minute video above of Mr. Romanchuk’s win at the Boston Marathon this year, and respond in writing or through discussion with a partner to these prompts:

• What do you notice? What did you learn about Mr. Romanchuk’s skills as a competitor or the wheelchair division of marathon racing?

• What do you wonder? What questions do you have about these athletes?

• What do you imagine would be the hardest part for you if you were to participate in a marathon?

Questions for Writing and Discussion

Read the featured article, then answer the following questions:

1. Who is Daniel Romanchuk, and how did he begin competing in marathons? Why is the finish line often a challenge for him?

2. Talya Minsberg writes that after competing in a marathon Mr. Romanchuk “returns to a world that all too often is not built for anyone with a disability.” What challenges do wheelchair users like Mr. Romanchuk face in navigating the streets of a city like New York? How does the story about visiting his mother in 2018 after becoming the first American and the youngest athlete to win the men’s wheelchair division of the New York City Marathon illustrate these challenges and frustrations?

3. Look closely at the photos that accompany the article and their captions. What story do they tell about the joys and challenges of marathon racing as well as the frustrations and difficulties of getting around a city like New York? Which image stands out to you, and why?

4. Mr. Romanchuk says: “People with disabilities, we are very good at adapting. A lot of daily life is planning extra time into things and adapting where necessary.” What are some examples of his adapting described in the article?

5. How are New York City and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority improving accessibility for people with disabilities? What pushed them to provide more accommodations?

6. The article says that Mr. Romanchuk has spent his adult life “teaching kids they can before someone says they can’t.” How is the marathoner mentoring and inspiring others on and off the racetrack? What life lessons can you learn from his story, his character and his determination?

7. What is your reaction to the article? What lines were memorable, moving, surprising or enlightening, and why? What did you learn about navigating the sports world and society in general with a disability? In what ways do you think wheelchair users face similar challenges where you live?

Going Further

Option 1: Watch and respond to a Times video.

In 2017, The Times published a three-minute 360-degree virtual reality film, “Few Entrances, and Sometimes, No Exit,” that allows viewers to ride along with a New Yorker in a wheelchair as he explains why more people with disabilities don’t take the train. Watch the film and respond to the following questions adapted from our Film Club:

• What moments in this film stood out for you? Why?

• What did you learn about navigating a town or city in a wheelchair or with a disability?

• Were there any surprises? Anything that challenged what you know — or thought you knew?

Option 2: Learn more about athletes with disabilities.

Want to learn more about athletes with disabilities? You might start by scrolling through The Times’s Disability topic page, or choose one of the recent Times articles below. Then respond in writing or through discussion with a partner to the following prompts: What did you learn from the article? What lines, quotes, details or images were most informative, memorable or moving? What further questions do you have about disabilities and sports?

Option 3: Look at the accessibility in your own community.

It has been over 30 years since the Americans With Disabilities Act was signed into law, banning discrimination against millions of people and requiring reasonable accommodations in schools, on transportation, and in other areas of public life. However, after three decades, barriers still remain widespread, as we saw in the featured article. Sidewalks, crosswalks, buses and trains still present obstacles for many wheelchair users and other people with disabilities, as do numerous restaurants, schools, buildings and other public facilities across America.

How accessible is your community? Do you think wheelchair users in your community face challenges similar to the ones Mr. Romanchuk faced in New York? How so? Do you think your town or city is doing enough to make your community accessible for all residents and visitors?

Take some time to explore where you live through the eyes of someone in a wheelchair. Travel around your neighborhood or community, if you can, and look closely at the public spaces and facilities, such as sidewalks, crosswalks, bus stops, train stations, schools, parks, libraries, movie theaters, stores and restaurants. How accessible are they for people with disabilities?

Pick one public space that you think is challenging to navigate for wheelchair users or people with other disabilities, and make a list of reasons to support your claim. (You might consider taking photographs of these inaccessible spaces and label the problem spots to bolster your case.) Then, make a recommendation: What changes and accommodations would have to be made so people with disabilities could fully participate in all the space has to offer? In developing your assessment and recommendation, be sure to talk to people with disabilities and disability advocates in your community to learn more.

When you are finished, share your recommendations with your class. To take the project further, consider sharing your proposals with relevant local organizations, agencies or representatives.

Find more lesson plans and teaching ideas here.